Girl lynched in West Bengal village for stealing betel nuts

Kolkata, Dec 31 (IANS) An 11-year-old girl was lynched and her two friends seriously injured by locals, after they were caught stealing betel nuts Wednesday in a West Bengal village, the police said.The incident took place at Mridhara village under Khandaghosh police station in Burdwan district, some 95 km from here.

“Jhelum Das, a resident of Mridhara, had kept about 10 kg betel nuts to dry on her terrace. She caught Leena, 11, along with her two friends Ratan, nine, and Chotu, eight, Wednesday early morning while they were stealing betel nuts,” a senior police official of Khandaghosh police station told reporters.

“Das handed over the kids to her neighbours, who tied them to one of the six betel nut trees in her backyard and beat them with sticks for over three hours. It was only when the three kids started bleeding, that they called the police.”

The officer said by the time the police reached the spot, Leena had died.

“Leena died on the spot. The other two kids have been hospitalised with serious head, face and abdominal injuries. No one has been arrested so far,” the officer said.

Leena and her two friends lived in the slums on the outskirts of the village. The three children were orphans.